Swimmer s buoy



March 10, 1964 B. B. GIRDEN SWIMMERS BUOY Filed Sept. 14, 1962 INVENTOR. BARNEY B. GIRDEN AT/TORNEY United States Patent 3,123,845 SWIMMERS BUOY Barney B. Girden, 32 W. 76th St., New York, NY. Filed Sept. 14, 1962, Ser. No. 223,631 4 Claims. (Cl. 9--311) This invention relates to a swimmers buoy, and more particularly to a device which will provide protective signalling means for a swimmer, as well as means for retaining the swimmers equipment and which will additionally provide buoyancy to a fatigued swimmer when desired.

With the advent of underwater masks, snorkels, fins, and underwater cameras and guns, swimmers are adventuring on or under the surface in greatly increasing numbers, actively engaging in exploration, photographing and hunting to name but a few aquatic activities.

Many of these swimmers are woefully lacking in adequate aquatic training and are constantly subject to the dangers of currents, undertows, rocks, surf conditions and the like, and more particularly lack the ability to judge their fatigue limits and other demands of the human body in water.

In addition to the normal dangers facing the swimmer, the tremendous increase in motorboating and water skiing sports performed in the same areas used by the swimmer, has added desperate and increasing hazards to the swimmers sport. More and more swirmners are being injured or shockingly mangled each year by impact with surface vessels or water skis.

At present conventional devices are entirely inadequate in warning the pilot of a motorboat of the proximity or presence of a swimmer low against the surface of the water, and a swimmer underwater is completely without any protection whatsoever from the danger of being hit by a passing, fast traveling motor boat or even a person being pulled by the boat when water skiing. To overcome these hazards the swimmer, besides resorting to his ability as a swimmer, has been compelled to utilize inflatable and buoyant surfboards for support, as well as divers flags.

It has been found that these conventional devices are limited in their usefulness as a warning device since the surfboard must be held by the hands, thus limiting propulsion and direction to the feet. These devices, where a divers flag is provided, are ineffective since anchorage is generally insufficient for the task and the swimmer is without any means for directing him back to the device when surfacing after a dive. Such devices further lack good visibility and provide no means for relieving fatigue or assisting the swimmer in returning to safety. Further, the conventional device is generally devoid of any means for carrying the swimmers equipment, his specimens, catch or the like, which will materially assist him in relieving fatigue upon his return after a tiring expedition.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a swimmers buoy adapted to insure an effective warning signal in water areas used by motor boats or the like, where visibility of the swimmer to the boatman is vital.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a warning device for the protection of a swimmer which is provided with means for guiding the swimmer directly back to the device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a swimmers device which is adapted to assist the swimmer in carrying his equipment, as well as specimens, catch or the like secured during his expedition.

Still another object herein is the provision of a swimmers device which is adapted to allow freedom of the arms of a swimmer so as to be utilized to propel the arms 12, 12', 1a, 13',

3,123,845 Patented Mar. 10., 1964 body through water, while maintaining the device in securement with the body.

In accomplishing the foregoing and other objects of the present invention, there is provided a swimmers safety device fabricated of a luminous buoyant material sufliciently and appropriately weighted, and of ample strength to retain a swimmer afloat in a body of water. Secured to the device there is provided a plurality of arm members engageab'le under, and partially around the swimmers shoulders. A line, engaged in a self-winding reel member for attachment to a conventional swimmers belt is further provided so as to enable a swimmer to readily and directly return to the device when desired. Finally, the device is provided with retaining means for securing and carrying the swimmers equipment, specimens, catch or the like.

The above and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those versed in the art, from the following description of a specific embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the drawing, wherein like characters designate like parts in the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the device according to the present invention, shown afloat in a body of water;

FIG. 2 is a partial side elevational view and partial cross-sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates the device as used by the swimmer; and

FIG. 4 is a view of the swimmers buoy according to the present invention showing the carrying means thereupon.

Referring now to the drawings, the swimmers buoy 10 is comprised of a substantially rectangularly shaped surf board 11 fabricated of a light, buoyant material of expanded polyethylene or the like. The forward end of said surf board 11, assumes a blunted point configuration or may assume any configuration according to acceptable hydrodynamic design. At the rear end of said sur-f board 11, projecting downwardly therefrom, and at an oblique angle thereto, there is provided a pair of arms 12, 12 secured to the top surface of said surf board 11, and a similar pair of arms 13, 13' secured to the undersurface of said surfboard 11. Each of said arms 12, 12, 13, 13' is provided with a substantially rounded hook-like end portion 14 adapted for engagement under the arms of a swimmer in the region of the armpits and extending partially to the region of the shoulder blades, thus permitting freedom of motion of the arms of the swimmer when said hook-like portions are disposed under the swimmers shoulders. Ballasts 15, secured to each of said are of sufficient weight so that when the swimmer is not on the surf board 11, the board 11 will automatically assume a vertical position in the water, with the bottom of said board 11 slightly below the waterline. A coating of luminous paint 16 covering the surf board 11 is provided to increase visibility of the board, especially to boatsmen in the immediate area of the device 10.

Secured to the rear end of the surf board 11, and preferably embedded therein, there is provided a reel 20 having a line 21 emanating therefrom. Said line is further provided with a lock member 22 which may be secured to the belt of a swimmer, so that as the swimmer parts from or return to the device 10, said line will at all times maintain a connection between the swimmer and device 10. The reel 20* is preferably of a type which is known, as such, and which is spring operated so as to cause automatic rewinding of the line 21 on the reel as the swimmer returns to the board 11.

The swimmers device 10, may further be provided 3 with equipment securing means such as looped clamps 30 on the face thereof for retaining equipment used by the swimmer in his underwater activity. Secured to the bottom of the surfboard 11, carrying means such as a net bag 25 is secured thereto adapted to retain the swimmers catch or the like.

Although the present invention has been described with respect to one embodiment, it is apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein, and as so changed and modified, the resulting structure would still fall within the ambit of this invention.

I claim:

1. A swimmers safety buoy and float comprising A. a substantially flat buoyant member having large surface areas at the opposite sides thereof, and

B. hooked, non-buoyant weighted arms extending from one end of said buoyant member,

(1) said arms being of sufiicient weight to cause said buoyant member to float in an erect position with said one end lowermost and with major portions of said large surface areas exposed to view above the waterline upon release of the buoy and float by a swimmer, and

(2) said hooked arms being laterally spaced apart to engage under a s-wimmers shoulders for buoyantly supporting the swimmer.

2. A swimmmers safety buoy and float as in claim 1;

further comprising a coating of luminous paint on said buoyant member for rendering the latter highly visible when in said erect position.

3. A swimmers safety buoy and float as in claim 1;

further comprising a flexible line extending from said buoyant member and having means at its end for attachment to a swimmer for guiding the latter back to the buoyant member.

4. A swimmers safety buoy and fioat comprising A. a substantially flat buoyant member of expanded plastic material having large surface areas at the opposite sides thereof so as to tend to float with said areas directed upwardly and downwardly, respectively,

(1) said buoyant member having a front end portion of hydrodynamic design to facilitate forward movement thereof through the water; and

B. hooked arms extending from the back end of said buoyant member and carrying ballasts spaced from said back end so that said ballasts can be of relatively small weight to cause said buoyant member to float in an erect position with said back end Iowermost and with major portions of said large surface areas exposed to view above the Waterline upon release of the buoy and float by a swimmer,

( 1) said hooked arms being laterally spaced apart to engage under a swimmers shoulders for buoyantly supporting a swimmer with the latter facing toward said front end portion of the buoyant member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,025,497 Wensley May 7, 1912 1,510,532 Zorn Oct. 7, 1924 2,260,109 Amdal Oct. 21, 1941 2,803,839 Mosley Aug. 27, 1957 2,974,331 Dize Mar. 14, 1961 3,012,257 Mooney Dec. 12, 196-1 3,018,494 Guido Jan. 30, 1962 3,031,697 Klein May 1, 1962 3,042,945 Saeman July 10, 1962 

1. A SWIMMER''S SAFETY BUOY AND FLOAT COMPRISING A. A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BUOYANT MEMBER HAVING LARGE SURFACE AREAS AT THE OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, AND B. HOOKED, NON-BUOYANT WEIGHTED ARMS EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID BUOYANT MEMBER, (1) SAID ARMS BEING OF SUFFICIENT WEIGHT TO CAUSE SAID BUOYANT MEMBER TO FLOAT IN AN ERECT POSITION WITH SAID ONE END LOWERMOST AND WITH MAJOR PORTIONS OF SAID LARGE SURFACE AREAS EXPOSED TO VIEW ABOVE THE WATERLINE UPON RELEASE OF THE BUOY AND FLOAT BY A SWIMMER, AND (2) SAID HOOKED ARMS BEING LATERALLY SPACED APART TO ENGAGE UNDER A SWIMMER''S SHOULDERS FOR BUOYANTLY SUPPORTING THE SWIMMER. 